Eene touchelay



R. TOUCHELAY AUTOMATIC THERMIC IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES June 24,1930.

Filed Aug. 13, 1928- Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 RENE TOUCHELAY, or LA- cALtE, ALGERIA AUTOMATIC THERMIC mNITroN DEVICE Foai TieRNAnooIyrBUs'noN ENGINES Application filed August 13, 1928, Serial No. 299,312, and in France March 14, i928.

The present invention relates to a thermic ignition device of the automatic type which is adapted for the ignition of the explosive mixture in internal combustion engines.

The said ignition device forms an extension of the operating chamber ofthe engine cylinder upon which it is disposed, and said device may be heated by an external source of heat. The device is terminated at the top by a tightly closed chamber. The said chamber contains two nickel blocks which are provided with cooling flanges whereby their surface of contact with the explosive mixture will be increased. They are provided with orifices afl'ording access to the interior of said chamber.

The appended drawings show by way of example an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. l is an elevational view of a constructional form of the said apparatus, and

Fig. 2 is the corresponding vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the construction. p

The apparatus comprises a socket or base l by which it is mounted on the wall of the engine cylinder. The said base is provided with cooling flanges, the upper flanges being polygonal so that the device may be screwed, with the interposition of a plastic .metal packing member 2, a coupling piece 3 provided with large flanges, and supporting at the top and through the medium of a screw thread and a second plastic metal packing member 4, the explosion chamber 5 which contains two blocks 6 of pure nickel 6 separated by a nickel diaphragm 7 and held together by a nickel tube 8 placed at the center and crimped or upset atteach end. The said blocks are pierced with the orifices 9 by which their internal recess is connected with the remainder of the explosion chamber. This latter is provided at the exterior with they asbestos element 10 which is held in place by the pressed metal cap 11. It is hermetically closed at the up- 1 represents the power, stroke. I thus obviate per part by the hemispherical cap 12 which is held in place by the flanged nut 13, with the interpositionof plastic metal packing above and below, as shown at 14 and 15.'

Apertures 16 are formed in the said cap for 5 theexit, of the heat produced by the starting apparatus, and an aperture 17 corresponding to a bayonet joint enables the latter to be secured. I

The operation is as follows.

For starting purposes, the'cap 12 is heated by suitable means such asan air-acetylene burner, secured to the said cap by the bayonet joint 1 7, and the engine crankshaft is driven in such manner as to proceed upon When the said piston attains the upper dead center, a slight vacuum will be formed which allows the explosion to be propagated through thebody of the gas. In this manner the combustion is complete, and this all pounding due to a'prem'ature complete ignition, and the point of ignition is automatically determined according to the upper dead center, that is, after the rate of maximum compression commences to decrease.

Itis obvious that after a certain number of explosions the collectingfmembers 6 will be heated to such a degree as to dispense with all external heating since the heat accumulated during each explosion will be,

even at slow speed, much greater than what is required for each ignition. The asbestos packing 10 serves to protect the explosion chamber 5 against the variations of external temperature, i 1 r As concerns the bases or sockets 1 and 3, these serve exclusively to assure the maximum break in the heating and to separate the heated explosion chamber from the relatively cold cylinder head of the engine, While sufficiently coo-ling the gas stream traversing the same, for an excessive heating at this point would no doubt cause an improper ignition, and hence the pounding of the engine.

Since the said ignition device is screwed to the cylinder of an engine already provided with its usual ignition means, it will rapidly heat up when the engine is started, and will thus act alone to assure the ignition should the normal ignition means fail. This effect takes place automatically without any external heating, and even without the drivers know-ledge. For this reason, the said device will thus provide for the practical elimination of all ignition failures.

The saidinvention has further for its object to cover not only the aforesaid apparatus but all other apparatus of like nature, differing in the arrangements or details of construction, whether fixed or movable, or made in one or several pieces; or provided with JVELGQI or air cooling, and in short, for all purposes adapted for ignition in an internal combustion engine, by analogous means, utilizing the ignition upon an external heated surface which is independent of the engine cylinder itself.

I claim:

The automatic thermic ignition device for internal combustion engines is characterized in that:

1. An igniter of the class described com prising a casing formed with a chamber open at the bottom, hollow heating ele ments mounted in the chamber and spaced from the walls of the latter and formed with openings, means for separating the hollow heating elements, a tubular element open at both ends and extending through the heating elements and secured to the ends thereof, and a heater cap secured to the upper end of the casing and engaging the upper heating element.

2. An igniter of the class described comprising a casing formed with a chamber open at the bottom, hollow heating elements mounted in the chamber and spaced from the walls of the latter and formed with openings, said heating elements having ribs on their outer surfaces, means for separating thehollow heating elements, a tubular element open at both ends and extending through the heating elements and secured to the ends thereof, a heater cap secured to the upper end of the casing and engaging the upper heating element, and insulation surrounding the chamber walls.

3. An igniter comprising a casing formed with a chamber, a heating unit mounted in RENE TOUCHELAY. 

